Vertical shelf conveyor



Feb. 24, 1959 J. W. MOORE VERTICAL SHELF CONVEYOR Filed July 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 James W. Moore INVENToR.

Feb- 24 1959 J. w. MOORE 2,875,014

VERTICAL SHELF coNvEYoR BY gyn@ @Mms VERTICAL SHELF lCONVEYOR James W. Moore, El Paso, Tex., assigner of one-fourth to William Murray, El Paso, Tex.

Application July 16, 1957, Serial No. 672,219

4 Claims. ('Cl. S12- 268) This invention relates to display equipment and more particularly to a vertical shelf disclosure conveyor capable of displaying a very large variety of merchandise but occupying only a small space.

An object of the present invention is to provide a practical revolving rack for various and sundry items such as books. Amo-ng the many features of the invention are the ready adaptations for manual, automatic or semi-automatic actuation. Shelves of any dimension are capable of being moved to whatever height is desired. Moreover units constructed in accordance with the invention can be operated singly or in unison. The structural arrangement is such that there is no sway or tilt. The use of the invention eliminates climbing, reaching or stooping. In addition the device can function as a filing cabinet by simply pulling the drawers out of an opening in one of the sides at any desirable height.

` Another object of this invention is to provide a rack Whereon books or other objects may be conveniently stored in discrete groups. By operating a co-ntrol the rack is capable of revolving to present to the prospective purchasers View all of the books on each shelf. By having them revolve in front of the purchasers eyes a much more attractive and easily read program of boo-ks is achieved.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a revolving rack-capable of `supporting books `or any other small articles, the rack including a plurality of shelves, the shelves having at at least one end and preferably both ends, a square gear which is captive on an idler chain. The gears are powered by another chain that is constrained in its movement and there are novel means connecting the gears to the'power operated chain to enable the gears to pass around the corners in the device. In this way the shelves remain upright throughout their entire cycle of operation. With the front of the cabinet within which the structure is mounted being open, the customer may not only view but select merchandise from the revolving shelves.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a movable shelf rack in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary ,sectional view showing the gear and chain arrangement for operating the shelves, and

United States Patent 0 i 2,875,014 Patented Feb. 24, 1959 Figure 6 is a perspective view of the means for attaching the shelf gears to the power operated chain.

In the accompanying drawings there is a cabinet 10 that has a back wall 12, side Walls 14 and 16 and an open front 18 framed by trim boards or panels 20 and 22, respectively. The opening in the -front is to lend access to the shelves 24 and for inspection of the merchandise thereon. Vertical panels 26 and 28 are attached to the top 30 and the bottom 32 of the cabinet and separate two compartments 36 and 38 from the remainder of the cabinet. The mechanism for operating shelves 18 is largely contained within chambers 36 and 38.

Each shelf is constructed of a at panel and has a pair of spindles as at 40 and 42 protruding from its ends. An endless power or drive chain 44 is disposed in chamber 38 and an endless power or drive chain 46 is disposed in chamber 36. The chains 44 and 416 are in a rectangular formation. For example see Figure 3 and chain 46. It is entrained around idler gears 49, 50, 51 and 52 at the four corners of the panel 36. Gears 49 and 52 are secured to stub shafts 5'4 and S6, respectively, which are mounted for rotation in bearings in panel 36 and in the wall 16. Gears 50 and 5'1 are mounted for rotation o-n spindles 58 and 60 which are similarly mounted in bearings in panel 36 and the wall 16.

An electric motor 64 is supported by motor mounts 66 that are bolted or otherwise secured to the panel 28. An electrical control circuit including switch 68 is disposed on the exterior of the housing 10 so that the operation of the motor is under the control of the prospective customers. Shaft 70 of the motor drives the shafts 71 and 72 through couplings 73 and 74. These shafts pass through aligned openings in panels 28 and 26 and are mounted for rotation in bearings in the end walls 14 and 16. They have drive sprockets 76 and 77, respectively, fixed thereon. Drive chains and 81 are entrained over the sprockets 76 and 77 and over gears that are attached to the lower corner shafts which mount the power chain sprockets. Accordingly, chain 81 is entrained over gears 83 and 84 that are xed to shafts 54 and 56, respectively. Chain 80 is engaged with sprockets 86 and 87 which are fixed to shafts 87' and 88. These shafts mount the lower corner sprockets 89 and 90 for rotation at the lower two corners of the chain 4.4 which is opposite to the chain 46.

Guide or idler chains 91 and 92 ride along the vertical channels 93, 94, 95 and 96 which are formed along the edges of panels 26 and 28, respectively. The chains are aided in being constrained in their correct travel by the idlers, for example rollers 97 which are iixed to spindles at the four corners of the guide chain 92. A gear 98 is attached to each spindle 40 and 42 at the ends of shelf 24 (Fig. 2). Gears 98 are enmeshed with idler chains 44 and 46 at one edge of the gears and they are constrained in their vertical travel along their opposite edges by being disposed in channels 100, 101, 102, 103. Channels 161 and 100 are in trim panel 22 and the back wall 12 while the channels 102 and 103 are in the trim panel 20 and the back wall 12.

The spindles for each shelf 24 are fitted at their opposite ends with similar mounting brackets. Bracket (Fig. 6) is typical of all of the others. It has a clamp 122 at one end within which spindle 40 is clinched.

f The opposite end of the bracket has a pair of ears 124 and 126 that are parallel to each other and that straddle a link of the power operated chain 46. They are pivotally attached, as by one of the pins of the chain so that they are capable of limited pivotal movement.

ln operation the merchandise is placed o-n the various shelves 24. The button for the switch or some other type of operator 68, is actuated thereby energizing motor 3 64. This drives the shafts 7l and 72 which cause the two chains 80 and 81 to be activated. These, in turn, through the lower stub shafts in the cabinet, cause the power operated` chains i4 and 46 to be moved-in their correct path as defined by the channels of the shelf gears.

Since the gears are attached to the chains by mounting brackets as shown in Figure 6, the shelves are propelled. Their correct orientation is maintained by the idler chains -91-and 92 andby the channels in the cabinet.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modiiications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the ,invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new ,is as follows:

1. In a display device for merchandise, a cabinet, a plurality of shelves, each shelf having spindles protruding from opposite ends thereof, panels in said cabinet and at opposite endsv of said shelves, chambers in said cabinet separated by said panels, drive chains in said chambers, means including mounting brackets which are pivotally connected to said drive chains and secured to said spindles for drivingly connecting said spindles to said drive chains, means operatively connected with said panels and said cabinet for guiding said shelves and, including a square gear attached at each end of eachshelf, channels in said cabinet within which the outer edges of said gears are slidable, and means connected to another edge of said gears for maintaining a-iixedorientation of said gears during the travel ofreach.

Z. In a display rack, the combination of a cabinet which has sides, a bottom,'a,top, and a pair of panels which separate the cabinet into a center compartment and two outer compartments, idler chains in said outer compartments, means constraining the travel of said chains, the center compartment constituting a storage and display compartment, shelves mounted for lateral displacementin said center compartment, spindles protruding from opposite ends of said shelves, gears attached to said spindles and disposed in the outer cornpartments, a pair of drive chains, one drive chain located in each of said outer compartments, idlers carried by said cabinet and arranged at four corners in each of the outer compartments, said idlers having the idler chains entrained thereover in order to'necessitate a 4rectangular path of travel of each of said shelves, and means cor1- nectingsaid spindles to said drive chains.

3. In a display rack, the combination of a cabinet which has sides, a bottom, a top, and a pair of panels which separate the cabinet into a center compartment and two outer compartments, idler chains in said outer compartments, the centercornpartment constituting a storage and display compartment, shelves mounted for lateral displacement in said center compartment, spindles protruding from opposite ends of said shelves, gears attached to said spindles and disposed in the outer compartments, a pair of drive chains, one drive cnain located in each outer compartment,l idlers 'carried'by said cabinet at four corners in each of the outer compartments, said idlers having said idler chains zentrained thereover in order t0 necessitate a rectangular path of travel of each of saidV shelves, means connecting'saidspindles Vto said drive chains,l and means in said cabinet and operatively connected with said gears for constraining the travel of said gears and thereby maintaining a fixed orientation for each of the shelves as it travels throughout `the complete rectangular path. of travel.

4. In a display rack, the combination of ya cabinet which has sides, a bottom, a top, and a pair of panels which separate the cabinet into a centercompartment and two outer compartments, idler chains in said outer compartments, the center compartment constituting a storage and display compartment, shelves mounted for lateral displacement in said center compartment, spindles protruding from opposite ends of said shelves, gears'attachedto said spindles and disposed in the. outer= compartments, `a pair of drive chains, one drive chain lo cated in eachouter compartment, idlers carried by said cabinet at Afour corners in each of the outer compartments, Isa id .idlers having said idler chains entrained thereover in order to` necessitate a rectangular path of travel of `each Aof said shelves, means connecting said References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 22,030,741 Bodine Feb. 11,119.36 2,659,647 Lyon NOV. 17, 1953 2,703,643 Parsons Mar. 8, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland V July 161-94-9i 

